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Planta Med 1986; 52(2): 108-111
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-969092
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

In Vitro Antimalarial Activity of Brucea javanica against Multi-Drug Resistant Plasmodium falciparum

K. Pavanand1 , W. Nutakul2 , T. Dechatiwongse2 , K. Yoshihira3 , K. Yongvanitchit1 , J. P. Scovill4 , J. L. Flippen-Anderson5 , R. Gilardi5 , C. George5 , P. Kanchanapee2 , H. K. Webster1
  • 1Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, US Army Medical Component, AFRIMS Rajavithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
  • 2Division of Medical Research, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 3National Institute of Hygienic Sciences, Kamiyaga, 1-Chome, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158, Japan
  • 4Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D. C. 20307, USA
  • 5Laboratory for the Structure of Matter, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D. C. 20375, USA
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Publication History

1985

Publication Date:
26 February 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The medicinal plant, Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. (Simaroubaceae) was examined for antimalarial properties. Among different crude solvent extracts of the fruit, the chloroform extract was shown to have the most potent in vitro antimalarial activity. Three active compounds were isolated and purified from the chloroform extract. These compounds were confirmed as bruceine A, bruceine B hydrate and bruceine C by UV, IR, NMR and mass spectra. When tested in vitro against multi-drug resistant isolates of P. falciparum bruceine A and bruceine B hydrate were similar in activity (ID50 of 8.66 and 8.15 ng/ml) whereas bruceine C had an ID50 of 1.95 ng/ml. These compounds were comparable in in vitro activity to the new antimalarial drug, mefloquine (ID50 of 6.26 ng/ml).